Military Family Relief Fund

How to Apply for the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund

The Illinois Military Family Relief Fund (IMFRF), signed into law in 2003 by Governor Rod R. Blagojevich, provides monetary grants (see below) to families of Illinois National Guard members and Illinois residents serving in the U.S. Armed Forces Reserve components who were called to active duty as a result of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

IMFRF grants (listed below) are intended to help service members and their families defray the costs of food, housing, utilities, medical services, and other expenses that become difficult to afford when a wage-earner has temporarily left civilian employment to be placed on active military duty.

Beginning in 2004, donations are also accepted through a voluntary check off on Illinois individual income tax forms.

To apply for a grant:

Attach copies of all required documentation – Applicants ommitting required documents will be mailed a letter of notification of necessary information.

Status and Needs Based grants awarded on first-come, first-served basis (Casualty based grants given top priority)

Timeliness of payment will be determined by amount of funds available at time of application

Complete entire form, (click to download form) sign and date, make a copy for your records, then send the original, signed, application to:

Any future operations as determined by the President or Governor of Illinois.

Service member must have been deployed for 30 consecutive days or more.

If submitting an LES, it MUST be within the period of service on the activation orders.

Application must be signed.

Effective January 1, 2008, Service members deployed for a consecutive (not cumulative) period of duty of more than six months will become eligible for additional status based grants for each consecutive six month period. After the beginning of the seventh, thirteenth, etc, months, applicants may reapply. The subsequent application must include sufficient documentation to validate that the continuous duty was performed in support of operations as defined above. (This subsection (a)(4) is effective January 1, 2008. Members on active duty on January 1, 2008 will become eligible once they have completed six months on or after January 1, 2008.)

Need-based grant: up to $2,000 (maximum)

Based on family’s financial need

Must include all rules listed in Status Based Grant except for marital status – MEMBERS WITHOUT DEPENDENTS ARE INELLIGBLE FOR THIS GRANT.

Must submit monthly civilian AND military pay stub to show the service member sustained a 30% or greater decrease from his or her civilian salary including reserve drill pay.

This grant is a flat rate of $2000.

Effective 1 January 2008, A member or a member's family may apply for and receive a $2,000 grant each six month period of continuous deployment. Applications will not be approved unless at least six months have elapsed from the date of receipt of the previous application. (This subsection (b) is effective January 1, 2008. Members on active duty on January 1, 2008 will become eligible once they have completed six months on or after January 1, 2008.)

Casualty-based grant: flat rate of $2,000

Based on injury

Must meet rules (except there are no rank/paygrade limitations) listed and include documents in Status Based Grant.

Service member must submit documentation stating that they were injured due to HOSTILE ACTION as follows in the new IMFRF rules:

“Proof that the service member sustained an injury as a result of a terrorist activity or as a direct result of a hostile action, sustained in combat or relating thereto, or sustained going to or returning from a combat mission provided that the occurrence was directly related to hostile action, including injuries to service members who are wounded mistakenly or accidentally by riendly fire directed at a hostile force or what is thought to be a hostile force.”

Service members that submit paperwork stating other than injury due to a hostile action will be denied. A $0 amount will be paid if the service member does not already qualify for the $500 grant.

To apply for a grant

Attach copies of all required documentation – incomplete applications will be returned

All grants awarded on first-come, first-served basis (casualty based grants given top priority)

Timeliness of payment will be determined by amount of funds available at time of application

Complete entire form, (see below) sign and date, make a copy for your records, then send the original, signed application to: